Brown Kiwi, Southern Brown Kiwi

Detailed introduction

The brown kiwi, scientifically known as *Apteryx australis*, is also called the Southern Brown Kiwi. It has three subspecies: 1. the nominate subspecies *Apteryx australis australis*; 2. the Northern Island subspecies *Apteryx australis awryi*; and 3. the Northern Island subspecies *Apteryx australis mantelli*.

A pair of brown kiwis may dig up to 100 burrows in their territory as refuges, typically changing their habitat daily. They do not leave their burrows during the day unless in danger, generally emerging at night. Foraging begins about 30 minutes after sunset. Their diet consists mainly of insects, snails, spiders, worms, centipedes, grubs, and many orthopterans; they will even eat small lizards and mice, as well as fallen fruit and berries. Unlike thrushes or swallows, kiwis do not have their nostrils located at the base of their beaks, but rather at the tip. Their sense of smell is exceptional, allowing them to detect insects several centimeters underground, which they then dig out and eat using their claws or beak. Furthermore, their beak has an unexpected function—when they need to rest, it can act as a third leg, supporting their body like a tripod, providing ease and stability.

Brown kiwis are adept runners, digging with their claws or pecking around with their long beaks to hunt earthworms, insects, and mollusks from the soil, decaying leaves, and branches. They have a large appetite, consuming dozens of earthworms at a time and 500-600 worms a day. Local legend has it that kiwis also possess many unique abilities, such as dragging rabbits out of tree holes and even catching fish in the shallows of the coast.

Brown kiwis have poor eyesight and are shy and timid, but they possess exceptionally keen hearing, a strong sense of smell, and a sensitive touch—qualities perfectly suited for nocturnal activity. When active, they often emit a "kiwi-kiwi" call; the male's call is high-pitched, while the female's is more hoarse. Kiwis have a very good relationship with local residents. If doors are not locked at night, they often boldly wander into houses, becoming "uninvited guests." They are not only harmless but also seem to always intend to stay with people a little longer. They are often curious and playful, and if not careful, they will drag away small items such as forks and keys from the house.

The brown kiwi is a strictly monogamous bird. A pair stays together for at least two or three breeding seasons. Because kiwis cannot fly, they build their nests in the lower trunks of trees or directly on the ground. The breeding season is in late autumn. The eggs are incubated in the female's body for up to a month. During this pregnancy, the female must store enough fat to produce a well-nutritious egg. Since they cannot fly, kiwi nests are often in tree cavities at the base of trees, sometimes directly on the ground. Kiwis are not prolific; females typically lay only one or two eggs per year. The eggs are white. Although kiwis are not large birds, their eggs are quite large, averaging 435 grams. Incubation lasts up to 84 days and is usually done by the male. For the first week after hatching, the chicks continue to consume the remaining yolk sac for nutrition before learning to forage and learn survival skills from the male. The downy chicks have uniform brown plumage, and their growth is slow, taking about four years to reach maturity.

In addition, given that cats (carnivores) pose the greatest threat to kiwis, the New Zealand government has enacted legislation imposing a curfew on domestic cats in areas where kiwis are found, in order to reduce the number of kiwis killed by cats when they are out at night.

Listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012 ver 3.1.

It belongs to Appendix II of the Washington Convention: Class I protected animals.

Protect wild animals and ban the consumption of wild game.

Maintaining ecological balance is everyone's responsibility!